WILSONS AND HOPE FOR WILDLIFE ARE OLD FRIENDS

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Hope for Wildlife, a charitable wildlife rehabilitation and education organization located in Seaforth, Nova Scotia, is one of the most inspiring places you will ever have the good fortune to visit.  What started out as a dream more than two decades ago for Argyle native and certified wildlife rehabilitator, Hope Swinimer, has grown into an organization which, as of 2018,  cares for 4,500 animals and birds a year and assists more than 20,000 callers annually through its wildlife helpline.

Referring to herself as much a people person as a critter person, Hope has happily embraced over the years the tremendous growth of the organization’s paid staff and volunteer base. For the past 7 years, persons committing to a 16-week room and board only internship of hands-on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation work have been coming to HFW from all over Canada and other countries including Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. In 2018 alone, 50 interns were accommodated.

In addition to working directly with its furry, feathered and scaly patients, Hope for Wildlife has opened its doors to thousands of human visitors by providing guided tours while staff and volunteers have participated in hundreds of off-site, community and school-based educational presentations.

There is no question Hope for Wildlife’s social profile in Nova Scotia is of an organization well- loved and supported by countless individuals and community groups as well as corporate sponsors.  Last spring, following a break-in to the centre that results in a loss of $1,000 of donation money and $1500 worth of property damage, donations and logistical support poured in. As a longtime friend and supporter of Hope for Wildlife, Wilsons Security was pleased to provide security system upgrades and ongoing monitoring service, free of charge.

At the time of the break-in, the door of forced entry was left ajar, thereby exposing the creatures inside to a long night of cold temperatures. This is particularly a problem for cold-blooded reptiles that depend on external heat sources.  Fortunately, none of the animals suffered irreparable harm. However, mindful of the importance of keeping these injured animals not only as safe but also as warm as possible, in December of last year, Wilsons Heating provided Hope For Wildlife with its very own new generator.  As stated on the Hope For Wildlife Facebook page:

Wilsons has supported Hope For Wildlife several times over the past few years and we can’t thank them enough for always coming through for us. They’ve made a massive project more manageable and our rehab animals more comfortable when we lose electricity.

Whether it’s a little saw-whet owl that flew into a window, a fawn found caught in a fence or an abandoned pet snake, Hope For Wildlife offers competent, loving and life-saving care to creatures that might otherwise not make it.  Returned to the wild or adopted by caring human families, every rehabilitated, Hope For Wildlife patient can look forward to an optimal outcome.

Here at Wilsons, we are proud to continue our support of such a worthwhile organization.

For information about educational and touring events, making a donation or volunteering at Hope for Wildlife, check out their website, www.hopeforwildlife.net or Facebook page.

What You Need to Know When Choosing a Security Camera System for Your Business or Commercial Property

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You’ve just had your latest eye exam and it’s time to invest in a new pair of glasses.  The new Flexiframe 900 offers a much lighter frame with no compromise in durability. The choice is a no-brainer. To offset the increased cost, you settle for cheaper lenses.  Next thing you know, you’re getting headaches from hours spent in front of your computer screen or outside on a sunny day with no protection from radiant glare.  Sure, the frames are great but at what cost?

Cameras were initially created in much the same way that the human eye functions, with multiple components to consider.  With today’s technology, advances in specific components of security camera systems are increasingly sophisticated. Here are two examples of recent advances in security camera system technology to consider.

Megapixels: The More the Merrier?  …

As image sensors, megapixels have left analog cameras in the dust. So it only makes sense that high megapixel cameras will give you the best images of all, right? Not necessarily.  Without a quality lens, a 4-megapixel camera is no better than its analog ancestor. Plastic, low-quality lenses make high megapixel cameras more affordable but all the megapixels in the world won’t compensate for substandard input from a cheap set of lenses.

Space-Saving Compression Ratio:  Who Doesn’t Need More Space?

In any business, electronic space is a precious resource and any improvement in space-saving technology is a guaranteed winner, right?  Not necessarily. When it comes to security camera technology, this new space saving mode can compromise your overall network performance. Instead of the full complement of an 8-camera system, the doubled transmission bandwidth of the space-saving compression ratio means you’re down to 4 cameras max.

Consultation with Highly Trained and Experienced Professionals is the Key to a High Quality and Cost Effective Video Surveillance System

At Wilsons, our knowledgeable and trained consultants will meet with you, on site, to go over your specific video surveillance needs. In choosing the system that works best for you, we will make sure you understand how the various components of your security camera options work and what will give you the most bang for your buck. Wilsons understands there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to video surveillance.  Give us a call and make an appointment today with one of our consultants.  We take the business of staying up to date with the latest video camera technology seriously and we want to pass on that knowledge to you.

Make an appointment today with one of Wilsons’ trained video surveillance consultants.  We are ready to meet with you, on site, to determine the best cameras and systems for your particular security needs.

What is GSM Monitoring?

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With the increasing number of people opting out of having a home phone, customers are looking for new ways to monitor their home security system. Two of the most popular ways are IP and GSM monitoring. Today we’re going to take a quick look at GSM monitoring. GSM is a term you may be familiar with as it synonymous with cell phones. GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communications and is an international standard. If you’re a traveller, GSM is the only service offered in Europe and many other parts of the world. The cool thing is that a GSM cell phone will work with any other GSM service anywhere in the world as long as it has the same frequency. GSM calls are based on data or voice, with Alarm Systems using the data. Data calls can turn cell phone into modem operating at 9600 bps (bits per second).

Monitoring your alarm through GSM technology has a number of benefits:

It’s Consistent

GSM technology has an excellent “uptime”, nearly the same as a landline. Internet service has come a long way over the last 10 years, but there are still those times when your Internet goes down, and if you have no Internet, you have no monitoring. Although your monitoring station would learn of your outage pretty quickly, it’s still something that one needs to consider, GSM it typically much more stable.

It’s Secure

Some wonder if monitoring over GSM makes them vulnerable to hacking. Various authentication techniques have been incorporated into GSM make it the most secure mobile communication standard that is currently available; it’s a system based primarily on authentication and encryption techniques.

Remote Access

Using GSM monitoring on your alarm system still allows you to have remote access to your alarm using an app on your mobile device, and allows you to add new features to your system, like automated lights and locks. This comes in handy when you have an alarm system at the cottage or somewhere else where you don’t have Internet service.

Of course, as with any product, there is the downside. Using GSM to monitor your alarm requires that you be in an area where there is cellular service. Although cell phone coverage is as good as it’s ever been, there are still some places where the service won’t work. Another consideration is that you may have to upgrade your GSM radio at some point in the future, as with cell phones, technology changes over time.

If you would like additional information on installing GSM monitoring on the alarm in your home just call our office at (902) 453-3388.